UN urges immediate funding for Palestinian refugees

Donors urged to meet $100 million shortfall so that Palestinian children can begin next school year
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday appealed for urgent donations to meet a $100 million shortfall in funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Ban expressed concern for the potential humanitarian and security crises that could occur if the agency did not receive funds from international donors.

Donors urged to meet $100 million shortfall so that Palestinian children can begin next school year

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday appealed for urgent donations to meet a $100 million shortfall in funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Ban expressed concern for the potential humanitarian and security crises that could occur if the agency did not receive funds from international donors.

The agency, which provides assistance for some 5 million registered Palestine refugees, had earlier declared that it was facing its "most severe financial crisis ever."

The agency requires $100 million to fund the upcoming school year in some 700 schools for half a million Palestinian students across the Middle East.

"[Ban] calls on all donors to urgently ensure that the $100 million required be contributed to UNRWA at the earliest possible date, so that the children of Palestine can begin their 2015-2016 school year without delay," the statement said.

Earlier this year, a lack of donor funding forced the agency to suspend payments to tens of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip for the repair and rebuilding of homes damaged during Israel's military onslaught last summer, in which more than 2,100 Gazans were killed.

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